This invention relates to a combination device useful for fishermen. More particularly, the invention relates to an apparatus which is a combination of a fishhook retriever and a fishing net.
In enjoying the sport of fishing, fishermen must frequently carry substantial quantities of equipment over great distances. On any given trip, they frequently have the opportunity to use various types of fishing poles, tackle and protective clothing, and, on extended trips, camping equipment. Many fishermen also seek relatively remote fishing locations, which may not be accessible to conventional vehicles and must be reached on foot. Even if an off-road vehicle can be used, the availability of space-saving equipment is highly desirable.
One of the most frequent problems encountered by fishermen, particularly in shallow lakes and streams, is the necessity to retrieve hooks and lures which have become entangled in rocks or underwater vegetation. If a hook cannot be disengaged by jerking or alternately pulling and releasing on the line, it is frequently necessary to cut or break the line. While several devices have been known in the past for disengaging snagged hooks, it is generally cumbersome for a fisherman to carry such a device along with him for occasional use, particularly when standing in a boat, and therefore these devices have not achieved popularity. However, the problem of losing snagged fishhooks is a persistent, annoying, and expensive one.
It is an object of the invention to provide a snagged hook retriever which is completely enclosed within a long-handled fishing net, and which can be removed for use only when needed. It is a further object of the invention to provide a combination fishhook retriever and fishing net which can be extended for use and compacted for storage or transportation. It is yet another object of the invention to provide a fishing net having a hook retriever telescopically stored in its handle which can be extended for use only when needed.
The invention consists generally of a fishing net having an elongate hollow tubular handle which encloses a concentric but smaller, telescopically extendable tube having hook retrieving means on the end opposite the net. The hook retrieving means is a modification of the disengager disclosed in Younce, U.S. Pat. No. 2,768,462. The modifications to the Younce device permit the retriever to be stored entirely within the handle of the net of the invention. Accordingly, the aforementioned objects of the invention are accomplished by means of the combination device of the invention, a preferred embodiment of which is disclosed herein.